Original U.S. Civil War Manhattan Firearms Series II Navy .36 Percussion Revolver with 5" Barrel - Serial 7247

Original Item: Only One Available. Well THIS is a real peach! This is a very nice service used condition Civil War revolver, made by the MANHATTAN FIREARMS COMPANY of NEWARK, N.J.. The company was originally founded in 1856, mainly to make Colt-style revolvers once their patent ran out in 1857. This revolver looks just like a Colt Navy and is in the same .36cal percussion, but it has a five shot cylinder, instead of the Colt's six.

This example features a standard 5" barrel and "Mostly Matching" serial number 7247, which is found on the barrel, frame, trigger guard, bottom of the grip, right side of the cylinder arbor pin, and barrel wedge. The serial marking on the rear of the cylinder is unfortunately worn away, as we often see. Additionally, there is still a good amount of the original cylinder scene engraving remaining, and the PATENTED DEC 27.1859 marking is still partly present. All five of the cap nipples are present and in very good shape, though one is currently clogged.

From internet research, we know that the Series II revolvers have serial numbers from approximately 4200 to around 14,500, and were manufactured from January 1860 to September 1861. As this was made relatively early in the series II production, it is most likely a pre Civil War produced gun, made in mid-late 1860, so it almost certainly saw service during the conflict.

Top of the barrel still has the correct Series II address stamping from before the company address moved to Newark, which is still relatively clear:

MANHATTAN FIRE ARMS MF'G. CO. NEW YORK.

The revolver has a lovely patina of age and is in fully functional condition. The walnut grip is solid, with a lovely color, but it definitely shows wear from use. It is now reduced in size, and has lost virtually all of the "piano varnish" finish. There are chips missing on the front toe of both sides of the grip. The metal finish has been worn to a lovely matte gray patina from years of use and repeated cleanings. The trigger guard/grip frame is worn a bit, which has almost entirely removed the original nickel plating from the brass, which is typical, even for well cared for revolvers.

The revolver cycles beautifully, without any of the finicky behavior we often see from revolvers this age. It has accurate indexing, a firm cylinder lockup, and crisp dry fire. There is a bit of wobble in the frame joint, which does look to have been adjusted in the past. The bore is in good condition, with clear lands and grooves visible, but also overall wear and past oxidation and fouling, now removed.

A lovely service used example of a Series II Manhattan revolver, which almost certainly saw long use during the Civil War. Ready to add to your collection and display!

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture: c.1860-61
Caliber: .36cal
Ammunition Type: Cap and Ball
Barrel Length: 5 inches
Overall Length: 10 1/2 inches
Action: Single Action
Feed System: 5 Shot Revolver

History of Manhattan Firearms:

The Manhattan Fire Arms Manufacturing Co. was founded by a group of New Jersey businessmen in 1856. Their goal was to take advantage of Colt’s patent for revolving firearms that was due to expire in 1857. The founders hired Thomas Bacon to became the Superintendent of Manufacturing.

Manufacturing began in Norwich, Connecticut and in 1859 moved to Newark, New Jersey. Thomas Bacon remained in Norwich and started his own firearms company. During their existence, Manhattan Firearms produced approximately 175,000 pistols. Only Colt, Remington, and Winchester produced more guns during this era in which included the Civil War.

While waiting for Colt’s patent to expire, Manhattan first made copies of American firearms that no longer had patent protection. These included pepperboxes and various single-shot designs. Shortly thereafter, they turned their attention to making Colt-style revolvers in both the .31 caliber Pocket and .36 caliber Navy styles. Manhattan patented an extra set of cylinder safety notches on these models. Manhattans can be easily identified by the many notches on their cylinders.

After the Civil War, Manhattan production primarily consisted of a copy of the Smith & Wesson .22 caliber cartridge revolver and a single-shot boot pistol under the name "HERO". Manhattan changed it's name in 1868 to American Standard Tool Company and began to market industrial tools as well as firearms. American Standard Tool closed during the financial panic of 1873.

Manhattan Firearms also manufactured guns under the trade names “Hero”, “London Pistol Company”, and “American Standard Tool”.

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